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RR 2012/269 The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (4th edition) Edited by Laurie J. Fundukian Gale Farmington Hills, MI 2011 6 vols. ISBN 978 1 4144 8646 8 (print); ISBN 978 1 4144 8691 8 (e-book) £558 $919
Keywords Encyclopedias, Health and medicine
Review DOI 10.1108/09504121211251871
Whether you want to know more about art therapy, movement therapy, yoga or tai chi, whether you are keen to understand the tests involved in a mammography or bone scan, or if you simply want to find out the difference between a bite or a sting from a spider, bee, wasp or jellyfish, this wide-ranging publication can help you find the answers.
There are six volumes in this substantial work, now in its fourth edition. The work incorporates over 1,800 full-length healthcare related entries, from Abdominal Ultrasound to Zoonoses. Articles cover a wide range of common disorders, conditions, tests, procedures and treatments/therapies, including some complementary therapies. There is an extensive list of North American organizations at the end of the final volume, listing addresses, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses and web sites. Organizations range from the Academy of General Dentistry to the Yoga Science Foundation.
The general advisory board for the encyclopedia includes public and medical librarians and consumer health authorities, and the essays themselves are collated and compiled by pharmacists, physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. The introduction includes a responsible disclaimer, exhorting readers to "seek professional diagnosis and treatment for any medical condition" as well as to discuss any of the information they may read in the publication with their healthcare provider.
The format, as with all Gale publications of this type, is unfussy, engaging and accessible. The language used is clear without being patronising. Whether the...